'Will hurt NDA':BJP alarmed on CM Nitish's call to not repatriate Bihar students from Kota

Warning that refusal to facilitate Bihar students' return from Kota will hurt the NDA's prospects in the upcoming Assembly elections, BJP leader Sanjay Paswan on Wednesday asked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to revisit his decision. Paswan said he felt state government officials are misguiding the CM on the issue which has spooked Nitish amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

"The Kota students' issue will have an effect on the upcoming legislative assembly elections in Bihar. The family members of these students will think twice before voting for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Nitish should think about this matter again," Paswan said.

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JDU defends chief Nitish

However, Janata Dal-United (JDU) leader Ajay Alok stood by Nitish Kumar's position, wondering whether his critics are suffering from a lack of knowledge about the issue. Alok said the CM had already shared reasons for his decision with PM Narendra Modi in a virtual meeting earlier. 

"What is the point in making allegations against the Chief Minister if he has made it clear as to why he is not taking steps on this issue? The States which have facilitated the return of their students from Kota should make it public whether they took permission from the Centre or not. It might not be wrong to say that those states have broken the law," Ajak Alok said.

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Opposition trains guns

Meanwhile, Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Shivanand Tiwari took a jibe at the Bihar CM, asking whether the CMs of states who facilitated the return of their students from Kota are illiterate. "Are the chief ministers who facilitated the return of their states' students from Kota illiterate? Is Nitish Kumar the only one who has read the Disaster Management Act 2005? I feel the BJP will not fight the next election under his leadership," Tiwari said.

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Nitish says repatriation not possible

On Monday, Nitish Kumar, in a video conference with PM Modi, raised the issue of the violation of lockdown by few states pertaining to the ferrying of students from Kota to Uttar Pradesh. He held that repatriation of Bihar students from Kota will not be possible until lockdown guidelines are revised. The CM also expressed his concern over the decision of some of the states like UP and Maharashtra to send migrant labourers back to Bihar.

(With ANI inputs)